Attachment for revolving firearms



April 1941- I A. F. GAIDOS 2,238,587

ATTACHMENT FOR REVOLVING FIREARMS Filed March 27 1939 GA was I N VE N TOR.

Wa /i2? A TTORNE YS.

Ala/v20 Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PA 6 Claims.

' This invention relates to attachments for firearms, and particularly to sub-caliber attachments for revolvers and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachment for revolving firearms in which subcaliber ammunition may be held and moved relatively to a suitable barrel and on which an auxiliary firing mechanism is held in operative position relatively to the usual firing mechanism of the firearm and to the operative position of the subcaliber chambers, the entire unit being adapted to be inserted in place of the usual cylinder of the revolver, a portion of the unit coacting with the frame of the revolver for holding said auxiliary firing mechanism in aligned position.

Another object of this invention is to provide subcaliber attachment for revolving firearms which is highly useful and simple in construction. Convenience of arrangements, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production of development of the invention.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts as well as in the details of the construction thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description reference is had to the accompanyin drawing for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partly sectional view of a revolver with my subcaliber attachments in place therein.

Figure 2 is an end view of the holder for the auxiliary firing mechanism on the subcaliber cylinder, the relative position of the frame of the revolver being shown in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the holder for the auxiliary firing mechanism,the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a front end view of the holder looking in the direction of the arrows"44 on Fig. 3,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the muzzle end of the barrel with a subcaliber barrel secured in place, and

Figure 6 is an end view of a modified form of holder for the auxiliary firing mechanism, the broken lines indicating certain parts of breakopen type revolver.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a revolver frame 6 which usually has thereon a cylinder of normal caliber, not shown, so as to coact with the usual barrel 1 and with the usual firing mechanism 8 for firing ammunition of the caliber for which the revolver is to be normally used. When it is desired to use the same revolver with ammunition smaller than said normal caliber, for any purpose, such as target practice, hunting small game, or the like, then the barrel caliber is reduced by inserting a subcaliber barrel 9 through the usual barrel 7 and securing it in place by suitable locknuts H and I2 at its opposite ends. Inasmuch as the ends of the subcaliber barrel 9 extend beyond the ends of the usual barrel 1, it is necessary that the normal cylinder be first removed in the usual manner, such as by swinging the swinging crane I3 outwardly to move the usual cylinder out of the revolver frame 6.

A subcaliber cylinder I4 is so constructed on its exterior as to be readily mounted in place of the usual cylinder and to readily coact with a suitable ejector mechanism l6 and with the usual revolving mechanism of the revolver. The chambers I! in the subcaliber cylinder l4 are of such size as to fit both in diameter and length suitable subcaliber ammunition, such as rimfire cartridges I8. The chambers ll are preferably equally spaced around a circle so as to be consecutively brought in alignment with the subcaliber barrel 9 as the cylinder M is revolved.

In the end of the subcaliber cylinder l4 nearest to the usual firing mechanism 8 is provided an annular recess IS, the bottom of which is on the same level as the position of the ends of the subcaliber ammunition, such as the rims of the cartridges l8. A ringlike bearing block 2| fits into said annular recess |9 so that if the bearing block 2| is held stationary the cylinder It may revolve on. the block 2|. In the bearing block 2| is an auxiliary firing mechanism which consists of a firing pin 22 in a hole 23 of the block 2|, and a coil spring 24 to normally urge the firing pin 22 away from the cartridges l8.

It is to be noted that in this illustration an off center projection 25 of the firin pin 22 extends through a small aperture 26 through the bottom of the hole 23 so as to align with the rim of the rimfire cartridge l8. A set screw 21 in the bearing block 2| and at the outer end of the firing pin 22 holds the latter in place. Thus when the usual centerfire firing mechanism 8 of the revolver strikes the auxiliary firing pin 2| the impact is transmitted to the smaller caliber cartridge l8 and the impact is also converted from the center fire into rim fire action.

The auxiliary firing pin 22 is disposed at all times between the usual firing mechanism 8 of the revolver and the chamber 4 opposite the barrel 9. This constant and automatic alignment of the auxiliary firing pin 22 is accomplished by abutments extended from the bearing block 2| which are adapted to engage the frame 6 of the revolver in such a manner as to hold the bearing block 2| in a predetermined position. In the herein illustration an arcuate flange 28 is extended from the outer face 29 near the outer edge of the bearing block 2 I. The flange 28 is of such length that the ends 3| thereof are in alignment with the adjacent frame member 32 of the revolver so as to locate the auxiliary firing pin 22 in registry with the usual firing mechanism 8 of the revolver. It is to be noted that the flange 28 is located only to one side of the frame member 32 so as to be brought into abutting relation with the frame member 32 when the subcaliber cylinder I4 is swung on the crane I3 into operative position. The location of said abutment for all In all embodiments the attachment is a complete unit and the bearing block 2| is a part of the subcaliber cylinder assembly so as to be put in place or removed as a unit. The device is simple in construction, it coacts with the elements of a usual revolving firearm in the same manner as the usual cylinder, and is automatically aligned relative to the frame and usual firing mechanism of a revolver so as to fire subcaliber ammunition efiiciently and accurately from a usual revolver.

When the subcaliber attachment is used in connection with a break-open type revolver, its operation and structure is similar to that heretofore described excepting the aligning engagement or abutment with the frame. In the units for break-open type revolvers as shown in Fig.

6-, a pair of spaced substantially parallel abutment ears 33 extend from the periphery of the bearing block 2|. The ears 33 are equally spaced from an imaginary radial line drawn through the center of the bearing block 2| and. the center of the auxiliary firing pin 22. In operative position the movable top frame member 34 of the brew -open revolver is located between the cars 33 thereby holding the bearing block 2| stationary so as to align the auxiliary firing pin 22 therein with the usual firing mechanism of the revolver. In other words the ears 33 are so located that the position of the auxiliary firing pin 22 relatively to the abutment edges of ears 33 is the same as the firing position of the point of th usual firing mechanism of the gun relatively to the abutting edges 36 of the top frame member '34. The relative positions of the abutting points on the bearing blocks to the auxiliary firing pin, are in all forms the same as the relative firing position of the point of the usual firing mechanism to the corresponding points of the respective frames abutted by said abutting points.

I claim:

1. The combination with a revolver, and a subcaliber barrel secured in the usual barrel of the revolver, of a subcaliber cylinder placed in place of the usual cylinder and having a plurality of subcaliber chambers circularly arranged to be aligned with said subcaliber barrel consecutively as the cylinder is revolved, of a separable firing end on said cylinder, an auxiliary firing mechanism in said firing end of the subcaliber cylinder, and means to hold said firing end stationary so as to align said auxiliary firing mechanism with said barrel at all times.

2. The combination with a subcaliber cylinder in a revolver of usual caliber disposed between a subcaliber barrel and the firing mechanism of the revolver and having a plurality of subcaliber chambers so arranged as to be successively aligned with said barrel as the cylinder is revolved; of a holder disposed in the firing end of said cylinder so that said cylinder and said holder are rotatable relatively to each other, a single auxiliary firing mechanism in said holder, and. means engaging the frame of said revolver so as to locate said holder and said firing mechanism in registry with the usual firing mechanism of the revolver and to prevent rotation of said holder with said cylinder.

3. A subcaliber attachment for a revolver comprising a cylinder having subcaliber chambers therein and being adapted to take the place of the usual cylinder of said revolver, an auxiliary firing mechanism at the end of the cylinder nearer to the usual firing mechanism of the revolver being adapted to transmit the firing action of said usual firing mechanism to subcaliber ammunition in said chambers, and means on said subcaliber cylinder adapted to coact with the frame of the revolver to hold said auxiliary firing mechanism in registry with said usual firing mechanism and against rotation with said cylinder.

4. A subcaliber attachment for a firearm, com prising a movable element having subcaliber chambers therein, adapted to take the place of the usual chambered element of the firearm, and to bring said chambers consecutively in alignment with the usual firing mechanism and the barrel of said firearm, an auxiliary firing pin adapted to transmit the firing action of the usual firing mechanism to the ammunition in said subcaliber chambers, a member on the adjacent end of said movable element to contain said firing pin, said movable element being rotatable relatively to said member, and means on said member coacting with the frame of said firearm to hold said firing pin aligned with said usual firing mechanism and against movement with said movable element.

5. A subcaliber attachment for a revolver, comprising, a cylinder having subcaliber chambers therein and being adapted to take the place of the usual cylinder of the revolver, a substantially annular bearing block between the usual firing mechanism of the revolver and the adjacent end of the cylinder being supported on the cylinder and being connected to the frame of the revolver so as to prevent rotation of said bearing block with the cylinder, and a firing pin in said bearing block being aligned with said usual firing mechanism so as to transmit the firing action, of said firing mechanism to the ammunition in the opposite chamber of said cylinder.

6. A subcaliber attachment for a revolver, comprising a cylinder having subcaliber chambers therein and being adapted to take the place of the usual cylinder of the revolver, a substantially annular bearing block in the end of the cylinder nearest to the usual firing mechanism of the revolver, projections on said bearing block for engaging the frame of the revolver so as to hold said bearing block stationary when the cylinder is revolved, an auxiliary firing mechanism in said bearing block held in alignment with said usual firing mechanism and with the firing position of the subcaliber chambers.

ADONZO F. GAIDO'S. 

